Nonrefillable bottle



' 0 1935. B. w. GRIFENHAGEN 9 9 NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Filed Dec. 29, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR, fimzlfmllqflm,

1935- B. W.GRIFENHAGEN 2,023,415

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Filed Dec. 29, 1934 3 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR,

ba t 2141x131 uzfizifmiqyen,

BY 2 i ATTOaEY.

m, 1935. B. w. GRIFENHAGEN 2,023,415

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE Filed Dec. 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR,

Deg'amm Wfiflfif'mlaagwz;

ber of operations to thirty,

Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE slgnor of one-fourth to North Adams, Mass.

Harold I. Danziger,

Application December 29, 1934, Serial No. 759,714

17 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to nonrefillable bottles.

It is a general object of the invention to pro-- vide a bottle for liquors and the like in which improved means are provided in permanent association with the neck of the bottle for efiecting a positive closure of the bottle after its contents have been dispensed.

The present closure is of the valve type, and it is a feature of the invention to provide a mechanism for opening and closing the valve, in combination with a means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, the integrating means automatically efiecting a permanent locking of the valve after a predetermined total period of openness.

A further feature of my invention lies in providing a mechanism which operates the valve in a cyclic manner, i. e., it serves to open the valve and thereupon automatically to close the same after a predetermined duration. Before each cycle of valve operation, it is necessary for the user to actuate an externally accessible device.

Briefly, my present invention provides a means for automatically limiting the number of cyclic operations of the valve. Thus, if one cycle of valve operation leaves the bottle open for, say, ten seconds, and the mechanism limits the numthe bottle becomes permanently sealed after the valve has been open for a total of three hundred seconds. The total duration of valve openness is preliminarily determined upon, depending upon the size of the bottle and the amount of contents that can be poured out of the bottle per second. The result is that after a predetermined total period of openness, suflicient to permit a dispensing of the entire contents of the bottle, it is utterly impossible to gain access to the interior of the bottle.

It is a particular feature of my invention to provide a valve operating motor in the form of a spring motor, whereby a positive driving force is provided for the cyclic operations of the valve. In the embodiment herein illustrated, a check is provided for normally arresting the operation of the motor, and a check releasing device permits the user to render the motor operative when desired.

The integrating means provided in a preferred embodiment consists of a rotatable member which automatically moves an abutment into a position which impedes the operation of the check releasing device after the valve has been open for a predetermined total duration.

A further feature of my invention lies in a novel means for irremovably mounting the valve and its associated mechanism within the neck of the bottle, with all the parts inaccessible except the check releasing device.

I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a perspective view of a bottle equipped with the present type of closure;

Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the various elements constituting the supporting framework of the present mechanism;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View through the neck of the bottle, showing the present valve and associated mechanism;

Figure 4 is a top view of Figure 3, on a reduced scale; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The bottle It] is provided with the neck I l, and within the latter is a cylindrical member which is preferably composed of the two parts, as illustrated in Figure 2. Each of these parts is substantially semi-circular in cross-section, and the two parts are adapted to be abutted together, with certain mechanism accommodated therein, before it is inserted into the bottle neck I I.

In the bottom walls of the two cylinder sections I2 and I3 are the semi-circular openings l4 and [5 which, together, form a valve seat I6 (see Figures 3 and 5) when the assembly is complete. Communicating with the upper side of the valve seat are the arcuate channels 11 which terminate bottle is tipped in the usual manner.

The exterior surfaces of the sections l2 and I3 are recessed, as at I 9 and 20, to accommodate a band 2| of thin cork or similar sheet material which makes the band between the apparatus and the bottle neck ll liquid-tight. Lower down, I provide the annular slots 22 and 23 into which a resilient split metallic ring 24 is placed when the apparatus is ready to be inserted into the bottle neck. Within the latter is a corresponding annular groove or channel 25, and when the apparatus is pushed into the neck to a predetermined degree, the ring 24 (which during in sertion has been compressed to a smaller diameter) springs outwardly under its own resilience and lies partly Within the groove 25. This effectively locks the inserted apparatus into permanent association with the neck I, it being understood that the word permanent alludes to an association which is inseparable except by actually destroying the neck I I.

Apart from any of the other features of my present apparatus, the ring 24, and the manner in which it is used to hold the inserted mechanism in permanent association with the neck of the bottle, is an important feature of my invention which I consider to be novel. A construction of this character is obviously useful for the present purpose, independently of any specific type of valve opening or valve operating apparatus.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 5, a valve 26 normally rests upon the valve seat l5 to keep the interior of the bottle completely sealed. The valve is provided with a valve stem 21 which terminates in a roller 28, the latter being disposed within the substantially circular groove 29 provided on the outer face of a disc 30. The latter is mounted for rotation upon a shaft 3|, being secured thereto by any suitable means as, for example, by means of the rivet 32. The rear end of the shaft 3| is journaled in a bearing 33 formed by boring a suitable hole in the material of the section |2. The forward end of the shaft 3| is journaled in a cross-piece 34 that is secured, as by means of screws 35, to the material of the section l2. Preferably, the ends of the crosspiece 34 are disposed within recesses 35 that are provided for this purpose, as shown most clearly in Figure 2.

It is to be observed that the groove 29 is eccentrally arranged with respect to the shaft 3|. The groove thereby serves as a barrel cam groove and normally holds the roller 23 and the valve 26 in the lowered position shown in Figures 3 and 5. When the disc 30 rotates through 180 around the shaft 3| as an axis, the roller 28 is raised and the valve 25 is correspondingly raised to the dot-and-dash position of Figure 3. During the completion of the rotation of the disc 30 the valve is restored to its lowered position.

A spring motor tends normally and constantly to urge the disc 30 into rotation; and the motor consists of the spirally wound spring 31, the inner end of which is secured to the shaft 3| by the rivet 32, and the outer end of which is secured to the section |2 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by the projection 38 over which the end of the spring 31 may be hooked. To enable the spring to be wound, the forward or outer end of the shaft 3| is preferably squared, as at 39, so that an ordinary clock key or the like may be applied thereto.

To enable the spring to be wound, and to prevent immediate unwinding thereof, a check is provided for normally arresting the rotation of the disc 38. This may consist of the lever 40 whch is pivoted at 4| and has its rear end normally urged upwardly by means of the tension spring 42. The lower end of the latter engages, as at 43, with the rear end of the lever 40, and the upper end of the spring 42 may be hooked over the abutment 44 which is provided for this purpose. In the normal position of the lever 40, the upper end is encountered by the shoulder 45 that is formed on the periphery of the disc 30 by shaping the latter in the form of a spiral. Thus, upon reference to Figure 3, it will be obvious that the normal tendency of the spring 31 to rotate the disc 30 in a clockwise direction is arrested by the abutment of the shoulder 45 against the free end of the lever 40.

To permit the check 40 to be released, a. check releasing device is provided which may consist of a rod 46 whose lower end is articulated, as at 41, to the lever 48 and Whose upper end. projects out of the knob of the apparatus and terminates in the exteriorly accessible knob 48. By pressing down upon the knob 48, the lever 40 is locked against the action of the spring 42, thereby withdrawing its free end from the abutment 45 and permitting the disc 30 to rotate. If the knob 48 is momentarily pressed, as it should 10 be, the spring 42 urges the free end 40 downwardly as the lever rides around the periphery of the disc 38; and as soon as a rotation of the 360 has been completed, the shoulder 45 again comes into direct abutment with the lever 40,15 and further rotation is thereby checked. During this 360 rotation of the disc 30, the spring motor has been effective to bring about, automatically,

a complete opening and a complete closing of the valve 25. To prevent the cycle of operation to take place with too great rapidity, a retarding device is preferably provided which I have shown in the form of a serrated wheel 49, this wheel being secured, as at 59, to the shaft 3|, soas to rotate therewith, and the serrations of its edge being constantly in engagement with the spring-pressed ball or detent 5!. In other words, the compression spring 52, which normally presses the ball 5| up out of an opening 35, causes the rotation of the wheel 49 to be constantly impeded, but not wholly retarded. During the rotation of the wheel 49, the ball 5| is successively pushed against the action of the spring 52, and immediately pushed out by the spring 52, thereby causing the ball to impart a constant retarding effect upon the rotation of the wheel 49.

It is preferable that the mechanism should be so arranged and constructed that the valve may be open, duringeach cycle of operation, for a period of about five to ten seconds, or any other suitable period of sufficient duration to permit a predetermined amount of liquid to be poured out of the bottle.

In order to automatically lock the valve against further opening after a predetermined number of valve operations, I provide an integrating device which I have shown in the form of a rotatable member 54. This member is secured, as by screws 55, to a member 56, and the assembly is 50 mounted upon a shaft 5'! whose rear end is journaled in the opening 58 and whose forward end is journaled in the cross-piece 59. The ends of the latter are fastened, as by screws 60, to the section i2, the screws entering the openings 6| 5.3 as shown in Figure 2.

The periphery of the member 54 is serrated to provide ratchet teeth (52, and a spring-pressed ball 63 is carried by the rod 45 in a manner which causes the wheel 54 to be rotated, one tooth at a time, each time the rod 45 is urged downwardly by pressing upon the knob 48. A retaining spring-pressed ball 64 prevents the wheel 54 from moving in a retractive manner, and permits the ball 63 to ride up into engagement with the suco5 ceeding tooth every time the rod 45 moves upw-ardly.

The member 55 carries a projection 65, and the lever 48 carries a similar projection 65. When the apparatus is installed and set into operative "0 condition by the manufacturer, the projections 65 and 55 are arranged in the relationship shown in full-lines in Figure 3. Each time the valve operates, the projection 65 is moved by a slight degree in a clockwise direction. After a predecross-piece operating sections.

termined number of operations of the valve, depending upon the number of teeth 62, the projection 65 ultimately reaches the dot-and-dash position of Figure 3. When this happens, further pressure upon the knob 48 will be of no avail because the abutment of the projection 66 against the projection 65 will prevent a pivoting of the lever 48 around its pivot axis 4|. Thus, further operation of the check releasing device is automatically impeded; and as a result, the valve operating mechanism is permanently arrested, and the valve is effectively locked against further opening.

The sections I2 and I3 may be made of molded material, or of any other suitable material, de-

pending upon requirements and expedience. The construction herein illustrated is shown merely by way of example. The recesses 61 shown in Figure 2 are to accommodate the ends of the 59, and the recesses 68 are intended to accommodate the ends of the cross-piece 34. The openings 69 and 70 register with each other and serve as a bearing for the valve stem 21.

The engagement of the cross-piece 34 within the recesses 36 and 68 prevents relative shifting of the sections l2 and i3, sothat when the unit is in place, no part of it can be removed without breaking the bottle neck.

The operation of the apparatus will be clear :from the description given. The strength of the motor having been decided upon, together with the number of teeth 62, the size of passageways I1, etc., the various parts of the mechanism are first mounted by the manufacturer into the sec- 1 tion IQ of Figure 2 in substantially the relationship shown in Figure 3. The section I3 is then applied over the mechanism, thereby eifectively sealing it, and the lining 2i and the ring 24 are then applied to the outside surfaces of the co- A substantially cylindrical assembly is thus provided, which is in turn inserted as a unit into the bottle neck. The ring 24 springs into the groove 25 and eifectively locks the entire apparatus within the bottle neck, and the bottle is then completely sealed and ready for use.

Whenever the contents are to be dispensed, the user presses momentarily upon the knob and then pours the liquid from the bottle. Only a predetermined amount of liquid will come out, depending upon the time during which the valve is open. If more liquid is needed, it is necessary to press the knob 48 again, in which case a second cyclic operation of the valve is initiated. This procedure may be repeated until the projection 65 of the integrating member has arrived at the dot-and-dash position of Figure 3, at which time no further pressure upon the knob 48 is possible. By the time this condition has been achieved, the bottle will be completely empty, and the valve will be positively closed. Accordingly, no possible manipulation of the bottle can be eifective to reopen the valve.

It is contemplated that the bottle will, when empty, be returned to the manufacturer who will destroy the neck and remove the present apparatus. It is then merely necessary to restore the parts to their original relationship, to rewind the spring motor, and to reinsert the apparatus into another bottle. Thus, the present apparatus can be reused time after time.

It will be obvious that changes in the details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is, there fore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, mechanism for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said mechanism, a check-releasing device, means for intergrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openings.

2. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, mechanism for opening the valve and automatically closing it again after a predetermined interval, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open,

and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openness.

' 2 3. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a

valve in the neck, mechanism for opening the valve and automatically closing it again after a predetermined interval, a check normally arresting the operation of said mechanism, a checkreleasing device, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openness.

4. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, a spring motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, and a check-releasing device.

5. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a

valve in the neck, a spring motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a check-releasing device, and means for automatically restoring the check after a predetermined operation of said motor.

6. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for alternately opening and closing said valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, and a check-releasing device.

7. In a non-refillable bottle, a. bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for alternately opening and closing said valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a checkreleasing device, and means for automatically restoring the check each time the valve is closed.

8. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for alternately opening and closing said valve, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openness.

9. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a

releasing device, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openness.

10. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for alternately opening and closing said valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a checkreleasing device, means for automatically restoring the check each time the valve is closed, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the check against further release after a predetermined total period of valve openness.

11. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, mechanism for opening and closing the valve, a rotatable member for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said member after a predetermined rotative movement thereof for locking the valve against further opening, said means comprising an abutment carried by said member and movable into a position where it impedes the further operation of said mechanism.

12. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, mechanism for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said mechanism, a check-releasing device, means for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and means automatically operable by said integrating means for locking the valve against further opening after a predetermined total period of openness, said means comprising an .abutment movable by said integrating means into a position where it impedes the check-releasing device.

13. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for alternately opening and closing said valve, 2. check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a checkreleasing device, means for automatically restor ing the check each time the valve is closed, a 1'0- tatable member for integrating the time intervals during which the valve is open, and an abutment carried by said member and movable, after a predetermined rotation of said member, into a position which impedes said check-releasing device, thereby locking the valve against further opening.

14. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, a spring motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a check-releasing device, and means irremovably securing the valve and associated apparatus within the bottle neck with only the check-releasing device accessible.

15. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a normally closed valve in the neck, a rewindable spring motor, mechanism actuated by the motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of the motor, a check-releasing device, and means irremovably securing the valve and associated apparatus within the bottle neck with only the check-releasing device accessible, whereby rewinding of the motor requires that the bottle neck be destroyed.

16. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle-neck, a valve in the neck, a spring motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a check-releasing device, a housing for the apparatus through which only the check-releasing device is accessible, and means irremovably securing the housing within the bottle neck.

17. In a non-refillable bottle, a bottle neck, a valve in the neck, a spring motor for opening and closing the valve, a check normally arresting the operation of said motor, a check-releasing device, a housing for the apparatus through which only the check-releasing device is accessible, and means irremovably securing the housing within the bottle neck, said means comprising an annular groove on the interior of the bottle neck, a registering groove on said housing, and an expanded resilient ring disposed within said grooves.

BENJAMIN W. GRIFENI-IAGEN. 

